A Progressive Framework for Free College

A Progressive Framework for Free College

The idea of “free college” has assumed an important place in the world of big and bold new policy ideas. However, it’s become an umbrella phrase for a variety of different policy proposals with very different terms and conditions. A free college plan can reinforce progressive values—reducing racial disparities, supporting democracy, and building a more inclusive economy—or it can undermine them.

If there is an opportunity to push a free college proposal at the federal level, policymakers and advocates must be equipped with a solid understanding of how the values and outcomes they wish to achieve would be driven—or thwarted—by certain design choices. To help facilitate a debate about free college that is grounded in values, A Progressive Framework for Free College by Suzanne Kahn examines how the design choices made in existing free college programs have affected the outcomes and values they promote. Ultimately, Kahn offers a federal free college framework that can be shaped by values and goals rather than by political expediency or conformity to a budget.